John hecker and william hotine



UNITED STATES OFFTCE.

JOHN HEOKER AND WILLIAM HOTINE, 0F NEWY YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO SAID BECKER.

MAGHIN E FOR FEEDING THE FLOUR, MIXING THE MATERIALS, AND KNEADING DOUG'H.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,723, dated November 24, 1857.

accompanying drawings, making part ofv this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of the machine; Figs. 2 and 3 vertical sections taken at the lines A, a and B, b of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 a hori- Zontal section taken at the line C, c of Fig.

3; Fig. 5 is a side elevation and Fig. 6 a vertical section of the feeding trough and cutter at the bottom thereof for cutting or scraping off and delivering the flour inthe v required quantity.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The object of our invention is to effect the thorough admixture of the flour and water, or other fiuid, and of the sponge, if applied to the making of dough for fer mented bread, by acting on small quantities at a time, but by a continuous operation, so

that all parts of the operation shall be going on at the same time from the feeding in of the ingredients to the delivery of the finished dough, instead of acting upon an en tire charge at once. The fiour and water or other fluid are supplied in thin films orl sheets and in close proximity with each other, and in continuous streams, at or near the periphery of a circular trough, where the sponge is also supplied when making dough for fermented bread, where the operation of admiXture begins, and where it can be carried on advantageously by reason of acting on small quantities, and as the operations of admiXture and kneading progress the matter is gradually forced toward the center where the finished dough is delivered, the supply of the ingredients and the delivery of the finished dough being continuous until the required quantity of dough has been produced. And one of the special objects of our said invention is to effect the feeding in or supply of the flour in such manner as to avoid the tendency which Hour has to pack, which tendency has heretofore presented serious difficulties in operating on flour, particularly in damp weather.

In the accompanying drawings (a) represents a suitable hopper to supply the flour to a feeder (ZJ) which said feeder is a hollow vessel in the form of a frustum of a cone, that is with the base of larger diameter than the upper end which receives the flour from the hopper. To the lower end of this feeder and forming the bottom thereof is fitted a disk (c), mounted on a vertical shaft (d), with which it rotates, the under part of the disk being provided with cogs (e) which are engaged by the cogs of a bevel pinion (f) on the driving shaft (g) receiving motion from some first mover, to rotate the disk at the required velocity. The lower end of the shaft (d) rests on a step (it), and the journal at the upper end is fitted to turn in a bridge across the lower end of the feeder. There is a radial slot in the disk extending from the hub to within a short distance of the periphery, and to one face of this slot is fitted an oblique cutter or scraper attached in the manner of a plane iron, so that its upper cutting or scraping edge can be adjusted to any required set above the plane of the upper surface of the disk. The feeder being filled with flour, as the disk at the bottom rotates the cutter or scraper shaves olf at each revolution a quantity of flour equal to the set of the said cutter above the upper surface of the disk, which flour so cut or scraped off' falls through the slot onto the upper inclined suface of an inclined plate attached to and revolving with the shaft (d), by means of which the flour is scattered and discharged all around into the mining pan or trough (7c) below, and near the rim thereof. As the feeder is conical, that is with its inner diameter gradually larger from the upper to the lower end, the whole weight of the flour within it rests on the disk forming the bottom, so that whatever tendency the fiour may have to pack, if the bottom disk were removed, it would fall out, hence the disk at the bot tom sustains the entire weight of the charge of fiour, and in consequence of this as the disk rotates and the cutter or scraper removes and discharges a slice or film from the lower end at each revolution the entire mass descends freely to feed or supply itself to the said cutter or scraper. In this way all tendency to pack is entirely avoided, the surrounding conical feeder acting merely as a guide or lateral support. And if the entire mass of iour within the feeder should become packed into a mass it will be effectually separated by the action of the cutter or scraper, and finally broken and separated by falling onto the scattering plate below, so that by these means we not only insure a regular supply of the flour, but deliver it to the trough in a thoroughly separated state, which is very important in making dough. I

The mixing pan or trough (la) is a fiat cylindrical vessel with a central discharge hole (l) and with vertical blades or pins (m) projecting from the bottom, and at given Ydistances apart from the, central discharge hole toward'the rim. The pins or blades (m) are set on curved or tangent lines, one row on each side of the centraly discharge hole (Z) but the number or rows may be increased or diminished, and they may be set on tangent or other lines.

The shaft (d) near the lower end thereof, carries two horizontal arms (n, n) provided with vertical blades (0, o) extending down to, and just clearing the bottom ofthe mix"- ing trough, and they are so placed that each blade will pass in a space between two of the pins in the pan, and the inner face of each blade should be tangent to a circle of less diameter than the circle it generates in its revolution, so that the series of blades acting on the flour to be mixed and passing between the pins in the trough will not only eect the mixing of the ingredients By the means above described the quantity j of flour to be discharged into the mixing pan atl each revolution can be regulated with l the utmost accuracy; but it is necessary also to supply the water'or lother fluid and the sponge regularly and in the'required quantities. The water or other fluid of the required temperature, is drawn1- from aA vat (p) through a pipe (g) by a pump (r) and forced up through a pipe (s) and discharged into a cup (t) attached to andsu-rroundingi the shaft (ci), and it escapes-from. the bottom of this cup through an inclined pipe:` (u) into a flat channel way (lo) between the under surface of the inclined plate and j another plate belowy it, and 'as the flour i falls from the feeder onto the plate (j) by f which it is scattered and delivered near tof the rim of the mixing through in a thin` sheet or film, the fluid is delivered in thel same direction and also in a thin sheet or film so as to eect a thorough admixture of the fluid and flour. The piston rod (w) of on a wheel (c') receiving motion from the l driving shaft by a pinion (65'), and the opposite end of the lever turns o'n a fulcrum pin on a block (e'). sliding inf'suitable ways. in the frame, so that by means of a set screw Y (f') the fulcrum pin can be moved-from or toward the pump to increase or decrease the stroke of the pump Apiston and hence the quantity of fluid to be discharged into the mixing trough at each stroke of the pump.

The 4water or other fluid can be maintained at the required temperature in the vat, or supplied thereto, or directly to the pump in any other suitable manner; but however, supplied care should be taken to have it at the required temperature for reasons well known to bakers, and it will be obvious that the water or other fluid may be supplied to the channel way, and the quantity regulated by other and equivalent means; but that' ceive the sponge. The outer end of the shaft is provided with a ratchet wheel (j) having four teeth which are acted upon, one at a time, by a rod (715') receiving motion from the crank pin which operates the pump, to

turn the shaft a quarter of a revolution at each revolution of the crank. The wings on the shaft and the teeth on the ratchet wheel are so placed that at the end of each motion one compartment is brought around to deliver the sponge it contains into the trough, and there rest until the next revolution of the crank, one wing closing up the aperture in the bottom of the trough leading into the hopper, and another wing in like manner closing up the aperture in the rim of the trough during'the state of rest. In this way one measure of sponge is delivered into the mixing trough at each revolution of the crank and hence at each stroke of the pump and each revolution of the shaft which carries the mixing blades, and although we have described the use of rotating wings forming compartments between them for supplying the sponge or other id Whole mass is Worked and gradually carried toward thecentral discharge hole. In this 'the process of admixture begins at the moment the delivery of the ingredients to the trough begins, and every part of the charge,

in subdivision, is carried regularly through every part of the process of admixture, Working, kneadlng, and delivery as dough,

i instead of acting upon the entire mass at once, as many have attempted, and it Will be seen that by thus acting continuously upon a continuousI supply a better or more perfect and more economical result can be obtained than by acting upon the entire mass at once.

Instead of sponge. other leaven may be supplied by the means above described, or

'by equivalent means, but if dough is to be produced for making unleavened bread it isV only necessary to suspend the operation of the ratchet to stop the revolutions of the Wings, or if it be desired to make leavened, but unfermented bread, the leavening ingredients may be mixed With the Water or other fluid or with the Hour before introducing them into the trough.

We do not deem it necessary to specify the various kinds of fluids which may be used in mixing the dough, as these are Well known to bakers and make no part of our invention.

We do not Wish to be understood as limiting our claim of invention to the employment of all the parts of our said invention in connection, as important results may be obtained by the use of some of them Without the others, as, for instance, the method of feeding the flour and preventing it from packing may be advantageously employed With any other mode of mixing and supplying the Huid, and in fact may be advantageously employed for feeding flour for other purposes, and the method of distribu ting and mixing the flour and supplying the fluid and the sponge may be advantageously employed With any other eiiicient mode of feeding or supplying the flour, and so With the other parts of our invention.

What We claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The employment of the rotating disk with its slot and cutter or scraper, one or more, substantially as described, in combination With and forming the movable bottom of a vessel containing a supply of iiour, to ldeliver the flour in regular given quantities, as set forth.

2. lVe also claim in combination With the rotating disk or bottom, substantially as described, the making of the feeder or vessel, containing the supply of flour, conical and with the lower end largest, substantially as described, to prevent the packing of the flour, as described.

3. We also claim in combination with the feeder or its equivalent, and the mixing trough, the inclined revolving plate for scattering and distributing the flour at or near the periphery of the mixing trough, ubstantially as and for the purpose speci- 1 4. We also claim in combination with the mixing trough, and the flour distributer, the revolving channel Way along the under side of the distributer, for distributing the Water or other fluid, and the Water, at or near the periphery of the mixing trough, substantially as described, to insure the proper admixture of the ingredients, as set forth.

5. We also claim in combination with the iour and Water feeders, or their equivalents, the apparatus, or any equivalent therefor, for feeding and supplying the sponge or other leaven at or near the periphery of the mixing trough, substantially as specified.

6. And finally We claim the revolving blades and stationary pins or blades, substantially as described, in combination With a mixing trough having a discharge aperture, at or near the center, and the means herein described or their equivalents for feeding the flour and mixing Vfluid at or near the periphery of the trough, substantially as described, for mixing the ingredients as they are received, and gradually Working and kneading them, and forcing them toward the center Where the dough is delivered, substantially as described.

JOHN HECKER. WILLIAM HOTINE.

Witnesses WM. H. BISHOP, JOEL. B. WILSON. 

